T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) has begun rolling out four-component carrier aggregation (4CC-CA), boosting speeds on its 5G standalone (SA) network to more than 3.3 Gbps, according to tests. 4CC-CA technology is live in parts of T-Mobile’s network now and will be available nationwide in the coming weeks.
5G carrier aggregation allows the carrier to merge four 5G channels of sub-6 GHz spectrum – two channels of 2.5 GHz Ultra Capacity 5G, one channel of 1900 MHz and one channel of 600 MHz spectrum. Customers with the Samsung Galaxy S23 will be the first to experience four-carrier aggregation with more devices to follow.
However, faster technology is already in the pipeline. In February, T-Mobile, Nokia, and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. tested carrier aggregation with five components (5CC CA) in sub-6 GHz spectrum. The successful trial aggregated 2 FDD and 3 TDD carriers resulting in peak downlink throughput speeds exceeding 4.2 Gbps.
In 2020, T-Mobile completed the first-ever 5G SA New Radio Carrier Aggregation data call on a commercial device, LG VELVET 5G. The system merged channels in 2.5 GHz mid-band and 600 MHz low-band.
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
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